...Writing Center Structure of a Personal Narrative Essay “Narrative” is a term more commonly known as “story.” Narratives written for college or personal narratives, tell a story, usually to some point, to illustrate some truth or insight. Following are some tools to help you structure your personal narrative, breaking it down into parts. The “Hook” Start your paper with a statement about your story that catches the reader’s attention, for example: a relevant quotation, question, fact, or definition. Introduction Set the Scene Provide the information the reader will need to understand the story: Who are the major characters? When and where is it taking place? Is it a story about something that happened to you, the writer, or is it fiction? Thesis Statement The thesis of a narrative essay plays a slightly different role than that of an argument or expository essay. A narrative thesis can begin the events of the story: “It was sunny and warm out when I started down the path”; offer a moral or lesson learned: “I’ll never hike alone again”; or identify a theme that connects the story to a universal experience: “Journeys bring both joy and hardship.” “Show, Don’t Tell” Good story telling includes details and descriptions that help the reader understand what the writer experienced. Think about using all five senses—not just the sense of sight—to add details about what you heard, saw, and felt during the event. For example, “My heart jumped as the dark shape...
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...CLRC Writing Center Structure of a Personal Narrative Essay “Narrative” is a term more commonly known as “story.” Narratives written for college or personal narratives, tell a story, usually to some point, to illustrate some truth or insight. Following are some tools to help you structure your personal narrative, breaking it down into parts. The “Hook” Start your paper with a statement about your story that catches the reader’s attention, for example: a relevant quotation, question, fact, or definition. Set the Scene Provide the information the reader will need to understand the story: Who are the major characters? When and where is it taking place? Is it a story about something that happened to you, the writer, or is it fiction? Thesis Statement The thesis of a narrative essay plays a slightly different role than that of an argument or expository essay. A narrative thesis can begin the events of the story: “It was sunny and warm out when I started down the path”; offer a moral or lesson learned: “I’ll never hike alone again”; or identify a theme that connects the story to a universal experience: “Journeys bring both joy and hardship.” “Show, Don’t Tell” Good story telling includes details and descriptions that help the reader understand what the writer experienced. Think about using all five senses—not just the sense of sight—to add details about what you heard, saw, and felt during the event. For example, “My heart jumped as the dark shape of the brown grizzly lurched...
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...Africa through Theatre This paper sets out to explore how processes of theatre making employed by The Mothertongue project, provide spaces for women to remap their personal narratives. Mothertongue works from the premise that the development and subsequent performance of stories in theatrical processes affords women the opportunity to re-write and remap their personal narratives and in so doing insert their voices into the landscape of South African Theatre. In an attempt to redress the gender imbalances and androcentricism prevalent in post-apartheid theatre, this paper speaks to the relationship between theatre, liminality and communitas. I am interested in unpacking how collaborative processes of theatre-making provide spaces for women to remap their personal narratives. Remapping in this instance refers to processes of transforming lived experience through story. I address how, through engaging in ritual activities that are central to the stories performed, actors, audiences and the owners of the source stories are invited to physically participate in remapping and transforming lived experience. Linked to this is the choice of form(s) and how this affects or impacts on the performed stories as well as on the construction of performed rituals and ultimately on the processes of remapping personal narratives. I focus specifically on Mothertongue’s 2004 production, Uhambo: pieces of a dream. The production was an integration of theatre and visual art in the form of performances...
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...N I N G O B J E C T I V E S 10 1. Identify the purpose and structure of narrative writing. 2. Recognize how to write a narrative essay. Rhetorical modes simply mean the ways in which we can effectively communicate through language. This chapter covers nine common rhetorical modes. As you read about these nine modes, keep in mind that the rhetorical mode a writer chooses depends on his or her purpose for writing. Sometimes writers incorporate a variety of modes in one essay. In covering the nine rhetorical modes, this chapter also emphasizes these as a set of tools that will allow you greater flexibility and effectiveness in communicating with your audience and expressing your ideas. rhetorical modes The ways in which we effectively communicate through language. 1.1 The Purpose of Narrative Writing Narration means the art of storytelling, and the purpose of narrative writing is to tell stories. Any time you tell a story to a friend or family member about an event or incident in your day, you engage in a form of narration. In addition, a narrative can be factual or fictional. A factual story is one that is based on, and tries to be faithful to, actual events as they unfolded in real life. A fictional story is a made-up, or imagined, story; the writer of a fictional story can create characters and events as he or she sees fit. However, the big distinction between factual and fictional narratives is based on a writer’s purpose. The writers of factual stories try to recount...
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...Throughout the course of the first nine weeks in Mrs. Theisen's AP English Language and Composition class, my writing has changed dramatically. Towards the start of the year my writing was very weak, yet it has improved towards the start of the second nine weeks. My writing began in this class with bad thesis statements, weak transitions, awkward grammar, and lack of relevant evidence. My writing skills at the beginning of this class started in a rough spot. There are a plethora of examples of how weak my writing was at the beginning of the nine weeks. To begin, my thesis sentences lacked relevance and contained bad grammar - if I had a thesis sentence to begin with. In the very beginning of the year I had no thesis statements in my papers,...
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...political science. She has also lived in Montreal, Berlin. She has an online-based blog, where she uploads a few essays and inputs – inputs that are all backed up by her academic background. Despite the online essays, her first official published book was in 2009. “I Killed Britney Spears” is a (non-fiction) personal essay, with a first person narrator which makes the essay identifiable. Edelstein clearly wrote this essay to highlight a few consequences and flaws in the relationship between fan and idol. Most of these flaws are shown in the age 13-18. These years are filled with the confusion that follows the transition from child to adult. Edelstein might have thought about this particular transition and thereby, intending the text to be read by these confused adolescents. The text “I Killed Britney Spears” was written in 2008, a year of great turmoil for the star Britney Spears. She was fighting over the custody of her children, she had been in rehab and just cut off her hair. All these events generated a lot of public attention. Mostly negative attention. Many of the “Spears” fans (including Edelstein herself) who identified themselves with her, were emotionally hit by Britney’s instability. The intention of Edelstein is spread across a few points. First, Edelstein intends to raise awareness towards the ignorance of “feeding the show business machine”. Towards the end of the essay, Edelstein concludes that she contributed to pushing Britney to the metaphoric death. The death...
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...Search” paper allows you to relate your personal experience engaged with some aspect of a topic, to hunt for facts and opinions firsthand, and to provide a step-by-step record of the search process. It’s part research paper, part personal narrative, part reflection. • First step: choose a controversial topic broadly pertaining to digital technology, digital media, “the internet,” television, or modern computing technology that truly interests you—specifically some problem or concern you want to be more informed about (use Homework #1 as a launching point). The topic, however, has to be argumentatively rich, meaning that there have to be many different viewpoints on the issue. • Second step: rather than starting with a thesis or claim, you’re going to begin with a question or problem spurred by some personal experience or exploration. Think of yourself like an investigative journalist or social scientist: if you’re writing about online communities, immerse yourself in one; if you’re writing about internet/television/cell phone addiction, deprive yourself for a few days; if you’re investigating some activity, try engaging in that activity; etc. You’re trying to get the heart of a controversy by gaining first-hand experience. • Third step: start researching. As you research, keep track of what you know and what you learn about the topic, how your assumptions change, and how different sources affect your perspective on your personal experiences and other sources. If you...
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...to share) it. Potts opens with an anecdote of loving a beautiful woman, seducing his audience with a luminous description of Eva. After a brief time with her, we, the reader, surface in Washington. This “jump” is the first moment of dissonance, a harsh transition from Thailand, 2001, to Washington, 1986. The transition is harsh. Eva is dropped and a new topic is introduced We, the readers, come to understand later that Eva is simply an introduction, not the focus of the essay, but this is not evident in that first transition. Potts uses a snapshot...
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...Experience | | | | I chose Teen Night at Fort Boise for my service learning project this semester. With the idea behind Teen Night being that there is an option for kids to get out, socialize and participate in many different experiences on a Friday night, in order to try to keep them from choosing activities that would be poor choices and possibly getting in trouble. Although this activity is open to any junior high and high school student in the area, I realized very quickly that most of the teens that attended could easily be labeled as “high risk” teens. Many of them have very stressful/negative settings at home. For some of the teens this was easily identifiable quickly. Others were very good at hiding their troubles. I enjoyed serving my service learning hours at Fort Boise, but, in a way, I wish I would have chosen an organization where I would have been able to get a little closer to the people, on a personal level. Teen Night was just more of group interaction (playing basketball, dodge ball, video games, etc.). There was one teen (Will) I was able to form a bond with that was, originally, very closed off. I later found out, from one of the other volunteers, there were concerns of suicide with Will. I will discuss this bond further into the paper, but I will say that connecting with Will was the highlight of my service learning. In an article from 1995 about the Adolescent Transition Project which was a study conducted in order to get specific numbers...
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...challenges, and transitions across the adult phases of the human lifespan, thereby allowing for an application and analysis of adult psychology theories and concepts that are commonly presented in more objective and less narrative works. First, attention will be paid to the roles and relationships that Richard and Jean Russo establish throughout their lives. Then, cognitive aging and decline will be discussed in relation to Jean’s physical and mental health and her dementia. Richard’s role as Jean’s primary caregiver will be studied through...
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...Date: 24 February 2016, At: 16:43 Journal of Postcolonial Writing Vol. 46, No. 1, February 2010, 65–75 “He does not understand our customs”: Narrating orality and empire in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart Jarica Linn Watts* University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA Downloaded by [Indiana University Libraries] at 16:43 24 February 2016 jarica.watts@utah.edu Jarica 0 100000February 46 2010 &Article OriginalofFrancis 1744-9855 (print)/1744-9863 JournalandPostcolonial 10.1080/17449850903478189(online) RJPW_A_448194.sgm TaylorLinnWatts 2010 Writing Francis This article delineates different strains of Achebe’s narrative technique in Things Fall Apart, arguing that earlier critics have failed to account fully for two fundamental principles in Achebe’s narrative: the myriad phrases that are repeated throughout the first part of the work; and the formative shift, the poetic volta, that takes place between parts one and two of the novel. Drawing on Achebe’s assertion that “anyone seeking an...
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...encounter obstacles, but may also gain significant rewards. Do you agree with this perspective? Discuss this view with reference to your prescribed text and at least ONE other related text of your choosing. The concept of ‘Into the World’ invariably involves the transitions of individuals into new phases of life, worlds and experiences in order to attain growth, maturation and emotional development. During this transition individuals may encounter obstacles, but also gain personal rewards resulting in growth and maturity. The prescribed text, novel ‘The Story of Tom Brennan’ written by JC Burke and two related texts, film ‘The Black Balloon’ produced by Tristram Miall and ‘The Road Not Taken’ written by Robert Frost, clearly display these misadventures and the rewards achieved once overcoming them. In difficult times individuals have must leave behind their old life and the safety it once provided in order to fully accept and enjoy their new life. In the novel ‘The Story of Tom Brennan’, Tom’s family is forced to leave the comfort of their hometown Mumbilli and move to Coghill due the selfish actions of his brother Daniel. Symbolism throughout this novel highlights the suffering of Tom and his family. “My father closed the door…for the last time”, this symbolic act and the secrecy in the way the Brennan family leave Mumbilli reveals the families remorse about the situation, they are not only closing the door of their old home, but the respectable life they once had, ruined...
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...Lower East Side Memories : A Jewish Place in America By HASIA R. DINER The Lower East Side and American Jewish Memory I'm Jewish because love my family matzoh ball soup. I'm Jewish because my fathers mothers uncles grandmothers said "Jewish," all the way back to Vitebsk & Kaminetz-Podolska via Lvov. Jewish because reading Dostoyevsky at 13 I write poems at restaurant tables Lower East Side, perfect delicatessen intellectual. —Allen Ginsberg, "Yiddishe Kopf" The poet Allen Ginsberg, born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, returned in his later years to a narrative style of expression, shifting gears from the anger and fire of his early career. In this poem from 1991 he also touched down again, after a long hiatus spent exploring Buddhism and Eastern philosophy, upon some Jewish themes, as a way of remembering the world of his youth. He described that world in one poem, "Yiddishe Kopf," literally, a Jewish head, but more broadly, a highly distinctive Jewish way of thinking, based on insight, cleverness, and finesse. That world for him stood upon two zones of remembrance. The world of eastern Europe, of Vitebsk, Lvov, and Kamenets-Podolski gave him one anchor for his Jewishness. Thai space of memory gave him a focus for continuity and inherited identity, tied down by the weight of the past, by family in particular. The other, the Lower East Side, nurtured and...
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...Personal Narrative Essay Title: “For Sale” Everyone knows that phrase: “The grass is always greener on the other side”. But as a child it was a hollow statement for me. Until the day I perceived it as my philosophy of survival. This story is of my purest memories following my relentless battles. Simplistic flashbacks of virtuous kids. Full of laughter and play with nothing to be feared except for the day’s end. All before the moment where the innocence was dissolved away by the acidic misfortunes of life. [a series of sentence fragments] To illustrate, the first setting in this world was in the town called “Ocala”. It was in South-central Florida, a place where nature thrived and creatures of all walks of life roamed. The most business we had there was a prison thirty miles away, and a Wal-Mart 30 miles further down the same road. So one would say it was pretty rural. Just a quaint ole town, where the trees outnumbered the people. My best friend Samantha and I loved the fact that we had mother-nature as our playground. Spending most of our waking moments playing in the open forests, we’d sneak around concocting strategic methods on how to collect lizards and insects, then place them in small decorated cages. Once we obtained our new pets, we would examine and befriend each one, always setting them free later. However, our nights were different, pictures were taken, video games were played and even dress up was included from time to time. Videogames helped enable our...
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...improve our communication skills. Consequently, you will play an active role in your own learning as well as active role in the learning of the other students in this class. Research has shown that when you are an active participant in a class you increase how much you remember as well as how much you can recall after the semester has ended. However, I have found that when you are an active participant in my class you will look forward to coming to each class session and your fears of public speaking will soon decrease. Since this class is participatory, you will find that you will put a lot of thought and effort into this class. Much learning will occur both in class and out side of class. However, while this class is demanding, I hope that you will both enjoy this experience and learn a great deal about communication, how you communicate, and how to be a better communicator. So, look around at your colleagues next class session, and start to remember some of their names because they will help you this semester. I also encourage each of you to stop by my office to chat. We can work together to help you achieve your educational goals. Sincerely, Dr. Lisa Table of Contents: Library Resources …… ………………………………………………… pages 4 Grading...
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